Overview

This book aims to demystify and dignify singlehood, and bridge a gap in the social narratives, by sharing the journeys of single women who live outside the dominant paradigm of marriage. Today, there are millions of unmarried women and numerous marriages are ending in divorce, but neither the narratives of society - nor the consequences that inevitably follow - have changed. Lives of single women still become the target of undignifying curiosity, assumptions, judgements and various other uncomfortable feelings. Society cannot continue to operate on assumptions and myths; rather, it needs to know what the lives of single women are, and how they are impacted by and impact society. Writings in this book will touch not only the lives of single women who are on a journey of creating a new path for themselves, but others - men as well as women - who are not served well by society's dominant narratives. Hopefully, they will show new pathways on various unexplored terrains. Making these ongoing stories of single women public will also build collective awareness and will be a step towards reconstructing and reshaping the dominant narratives in society.

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9781911451136

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What do we know about the inner lives of single women? Through these highly moving, gem-like personal stories, we learn how women bravely create a new social world for themselves and those around them while slowly changing the old world they didn't fit into. Some stories especially are lively, honest, and heartful. This book sensitively profiles life worlds of 15 single women by 'choice or circumstances' using gender lens. It provides a vivid journeys of these women- divorced or always single or widowed who have questioned traditional stereotypes; and brings out complexities and nuances of patriarchal biases, control of sexuality-fertility and labour of women and double standards. Each of the first 15 chapters tells the story of single working women from India, UK and USA as an in-depth self-reflection by the chapter-contributors. The last 2 chapters weave the pearls of collective wisdom in a thread of perspective 'single as stronger' and 'singlehood as an opportunity to develop'. Of course there are fears and anxieties about being labelled as selfish, self-centred, stubborn, headstrong. Social exclusion from kinship and neighbourhood networks also means coping with illness or any other personal crisis without support. At the one end, there is life of freedom, adventure and career-commitment and at the other end of the spectrum there are risks of being 'taken for a ride' and potholes of betrayals in personal and professional lives. The testimonies of 15 economically self-dependent women also poignantly captures their oscillation between 'being strong 'and 'being vulnerable'. The book also portrays brave efforts of single women with child and responsibility of elderly care in different socio-cultural, geographical context and their technology aided daily routine. The last 2 chapters, 16th and 17th, deliver an analytically robust and convincing case for democratisation of gender relations based on mutual respect and need for non-discriminatory policies and practices in the personal, community, corporate and public spheres. I congratulate the author and 15 women who provided an in-depth account of their heroic and challenging journey in a candid manner.

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